Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116317

Charles DiMaggio, PhD, MPH, PA-C, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, 722 W. 168th Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10032, 212-342-4131, cjd11@columbia.edu

The Nassau County, NY, Department of Health conducted an analysis of pedestrian injuries and fatalities. The aims were to describe pedestrian injury occurrence, fatality and hospitalization rates over the past decade and to map community pedestrian injury hospitalization rates with a goal of decreasing the occurrence and severity of pedestrian injuries. Local, state and national data sources were utilized to describe epidemiologic features and to calculate zip-code level hospitalization rates which were correlated to community socio-economic characteristics. A geographic information system to locate the occurrence of pedestrian fatalities was created.

In a population of 1.3 million residents there were 9,284 pedestrian injuries and 299 pedestrian deaths in Nassau County Between 1991 and 2000. Annual injury and fatality rates in were constant over the 10 year period. Pedestrian incidents accounted for 2% (9,248/461,955) of all traffic-related injuries, but were responsible for 27% (299/1,105) of all traffic-related deaths. . Most injuries occurred during daylight hours, but there was some evidence of an increased risk of fatality at night. 26% of pedestrians injured at intersections were crossing with the signal. There was a positive correlation between the proportion of black and Hispanic residents living in a community and the risk of hospitalization for pedestrian injury.

This study resulted in increased attention to the issue of pedestrian injuries and more formal collaboration between public health, engineering and law enforcement agencies. Descriptive, temporal and spatial cluster analyses can form the basis for site visits and possible engineering and law enforcement interventions.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session the participant (learner) will be able to

• Recognize the impact pedestrian injuries may have on the health of suburban communities.
• List 5 factors associated with the occurrence of pedestrian injuries and 2 factors associated with fatal pedestrian injuries.
• Describe the process of conducting analyses of pedestrian injury surveillance utilizing routine administratively collected data.
• Identify 3 potential non-health partners necessary for the conduct of pedestrian injury control surveillance and control.
• Describe the role spatial epidemiology can play in pedestrian injury surveillance and control.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation